Universal knitting means



Filed Das. R0, 19M

.L FONTAINE UNIVERSAL KNITTING `IMMANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 31.

INVENTOR.

JACK FONTAINE BY ATTORNEYS Filed Dec. 2Q, .194%

J. FQNTMHNE UNIEVERSAI..V KNITTING MEANS www - g4 .IN V EN TOR.

JACK FONTAINE Filed Deo. 320, 19M

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JACK Fommma ACTTORMEM Patented Jan. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNIVERSAL KNITTING MEANS Jack Fontaine, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application December 20, 194.4, Serial No. 568,960

(Cl. .6B-86) 7 claims. l

With the two common types of Warp knitting machines, there are limitations in each which prevent a desirably wide range of products, and they are awkward in the matter of readily making changes in product design. In accordance with the present invention, construction is had which makes possible a convenient and rapid adaptation to a very wide range of product designs, with possibilities of widely unique knit effects and the employment of fancy yarns that could not be used with former constructions. Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features `of construction set out in the following description, the annexed drawings and the accompanying description including but a few of the various forms in 'which the principle of the invention may 4be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. l isa side elevational view of a needle in accordance with the invention;

' Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive are similar views of modi- `lcations, Figs. 3 to 7 being partly sectioned;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View showing needle mounting and relation of presser bars and control means;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail of modified construction;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevational view of "operating means including the pattern chain wheel, for control of the needles; and ,L Figs. ll to 18 inclusive are fragmentary views showing the general operation of my type of construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. l a needle comprising a shank or body 2, having a slightly laterally outturned end 3, and pivoted therein at i is a generally U-shaped closing element L having one leg E movable always within the guard portion 5. while the other leg 'I may occupy positions thereagainst or removed, or in other words, the member may have open or closed position. 'I'hrusting against the inner leg is the upper end of a lever 3 which is pivoted at El, and whose lower end l0 is of sulcient Weightto normally tend to hold the leg i' inV out or open position. In operation, this needle may pass through the yarn loop as the yarn is -red thereover, and the loop slides down the upper part of the needle and the leg l, the thrust lever 8 being pushed back as the member Il swings inwardly, butrvvith-the returnmovement of theneedie, a yarn loop slidesinto the jaw behind the portion 1 of the member L, and is drawn down in hook-like manner, and so on.

Instead of a lever normally holding the closing element out or in open position, as shown in Fig. 2, a spring B may be carried by the needle shank such that its free end 6 bears against the inner leg 5 of the closing element L.

In Fig. 3, the closing element takes the form of a bell-crank lever whose long arm 'l' is closable to a sufficient extent to hold the yarn loop as the needle ascends in its movement, and its short arm E is engaged by the head l2 of a reciprocable slide bar I3 held under a guide I4 in the groove l5 of the needle shank, and a lateral projection kI E actuated by suitable means permits the neces sarymovement for the opening and closing of the jaw The form shown in Fig. 4 involves a shank or bar having a groove l5 and pivoted at i8 therein and below the laterally out-turned end I9, a closing element whose long arm 2li is swingable about the pivot I8 so as to appropriately hold or release the yarn loop, actuation being accomplished by cam 2l on the reciprocable slide bar 22 and operating against the short arm 23 of the closing element. A spring 2li, having one end in the hole 25 in the side wall of the groove, and its: other end in the slot 26, bears against the slide rod 22, and frictionally holds it in stationary position when not being moved by operating means engaging the lateral projection 21.

Instead of the relatively straight type of lever as in Fig. Il, the closing element may be in the form of a bell-crank lever, Fig. 5, pivoted at l8r with its long arm 29 movable out and in, as its short arm 23 is actuated by the cam 2l on the slide bar 22'. A similar spring 24 frictionally holds the slide bar stationary when not being positively ymoved by the operating means.

iAs Shown in Fig. 6,` the closing element may take the form of a laterally-deflectable member 3l, which is the upper end of a reciprocable slide bar `3| and having a suicient resiliency to follow the guide wall 32 of the groove, thereby being directed into laterally deflected position when extended, and coming to rest inside, behind the guide 32. when retracted. A similar spring 24' bears against the slide bar Ill and frictionally holds it static-nary when not moved by engagement of operatingmeans on the projection 33. y

As another modification, as shown in Fig. 7, the needle shank or body, also grooved, carries therein a slide bar 35. and ls frictionally engaged by a spring 24" normally holding it stationary in attained position, and at its upper end 36 being hooked over suiciently to cooperate with the upper portion of the needle. This needle may be operated by the loop of yarn or stitch if preferred, or if desired there may be operating mea-ns c0- acting with the projection 3l at the lower end of the slide bar.

'Ihe needles are mounted in a gang or row, in suitable manner, on the needle bar 48, Fig. 8, one convenient construction involving a clamp 4| which may have a felt 42 on the inside for even pressure and grip, the clamp being on dowel pins, not shown, and held by cap screws 43. The needle bar may be reciprocated vertically as by customary mechanism. In fact, the invention in general interposes between reciprocable needle bar andpresser-type bar mechanisms of customary character, the needle closing control means as hereinafter more particularly detailed. The

sinkers i5 are suitably held, and are fastened, as by screws, to the sinker bar 46. The latter is reciprocated by any suitable means, as cams on the main drive shaft of the machine, through slide bar 4l and guideways 48. Considering then, for example, a common form of machine with its Ydrive vertically reciprocating the needle bar 48 and horizontally reciprocating its presser-type bar by the arms 65, the interposed optionally Variable control means for the needle closing and opening such as to allow pattern variation, involves optionally operable stops for the needle closures. Thus, for every one or two needles. as preferred, there is a control pin 58 reciprocable in fixed framing l, and carried by the supporting member 52 which has a limited range of movement between the framing element 5l and the horizontally reciprocating operating bar or presser-type bar 58 therebehind, the carrying element or supporting member 52 having guiding dowel pins 54 which slide in openings in the framing member 5l as the member 52 is moved relative to the framing 5I Adjustable push-pins 58 are slidably mounted in bores in bar 53 and leach such pin has a spring 51 bearing against the bar 53 and the head 58 of the pin. On each which may seat against the forward face of bar '53, thereby holding the push-pin in extended or out position as in the upper part of Fig. 8, or the detent pin 53 may seat back in slot 62 laterally of the bore in the bar, thereby allowing the pushpin to assume its retracted or in position. In the iirst of these positions, or the out position. the push-pin 58 is seen to be such as to push against the member 52 and push it and the control pin 58 out .into the path of the projection 58 of the slide in the needle controlling opening and closing of the needle. Such pushing operation of the bar 53 is eiected bv the forward reciorocation of the arms 85. In the second position, or the in position of the push-pin, it is back out of operation. 'Ihe push-pins 58 may be set in either position at will on manually slightly rotating the head of the pin for the detent pin 55 to rest outside against the forward face of bar 58 or in the slot 62 in the bar, and thus may be selectively operative or inoperative, as desired. The bar 81 in relation with arms 65, in horizontal reciprocation to its forward position, extends into the path of the projections 60 to restrain them from rising thereabove, and when drawn back to its retracted position, releases them. The bar 89 in association serves to return the pins to inactive position by moving against the supporting member 52 at its upper edge and pushing it with the pins 50 back or to the right in Fig. 8 out of the path of projections 60. Thus, by the interposition of selectively adjustable pins 50 and 56, the opening and closing of various needles may be selectively controlled. If the needles be of a form having a slide cooperating with the needle body and hook to eiect closing, and the slide have a frictionally engaging element such as a spring to hold it with the needle body until it is positively moved relative to the needle body, it is seen that if the needle is reciprooated up and down when the pin 50 is back out of the path of projection 69 of the needle closing means, the closure element rides inactively with the needle in the position in which it happens to be.v But when the pin 5E) is extended in the path of projection 60, with the parts in positions as 'shown in Fig. 8, illustratively the needle will next be drawn down and the projection E@ with it until stopped by pin 50, thereby causing the closing of the needle throughout the remainder ofthe lower phase of its reciprocation. y Instead of sinker means in the form shown at 45 in Fig. 8, there may be provided an oscillatory means, as shown in Fig. 9, in which a discoidal member lo has a peripheral projection 1I with one slope abrupt at l2, and less abrupt at 13, the member 'l0 being mounted adjacent a needle, as

carried by a rock shaft 14, the latter having its slight rocking movement imparted through suitable drive connections; not necessary to be shown. In this form, the sinker means instead of being reciprocated back and forth adjacent the needle, is slightly rocked or oscillated in step with the operations of stitch-forming and casting off.

To transmit motion from the pattern chain wheel to the presser bars and permit change of throw, as for coarser work, Yas shown in Fig. 10, the pattern chain'wheel 80 may be arranged to alternatively operate a push rod 8l equipped with anti-friction wheels 82 at both ends, and sliding in a guide 83. A bell-crank lever pivoted at 84 to a bracket on the machine frame, and having its short arm 85 engaged by the push rod 8|, through its long arm 86 communicates motion to the rod 81 and intermediate means to the presser bar.

It will be noted that whereas in the customary forms of warp knitting machine construction, the knitted product or Work is' pulled by the hook-line sinkers backwardly or in a direction toward the operating mechanism and main drive, to be wound up on a roll, in my type o1 construction the knitted work piece is pushed forwardly and discharges downwardly i. e., it is moved in a direction opposite away from the general operating mechanism and drive means. By referring to Figs. 8 and ll to 18, it is seen that the sinkers 45, reciprocate between the needles N as guarded in grooves' in the guide plate 92. And, the forward or advancing edge of the sinkers has a substantially vertical edge portion 9| below and a generally horizontal intermediate portion and a. projecting portion outstanding forwardly and above. Thus, asthe stitches are formed by the -needles and are cast off, the sinkers advance forwardly and push theA work to discharge downwardly. Similarly with the oscillatory-form of sinkers as' in Fig. 9, the discoidal members 10 with their advance edge and peripheral projection E2 push the knitted product to discharge Aforwardly and downwardly. The general manner of operation of the m'achine is as usual, except that with the selectively lregulatable pins 56 inthe presservbars, various needles as desired are put into or out of operation, and an extreme exibility of the range of pattern or design may be attained. The type of needles shown also conduces particularly to such kind of operation, as they do not. permit drop stitches.

By discharging the work forwardly and downwardly as in my construction, the tendency for the product to crowd up and bunch at heavy portions of an irregular design is obviated; and designs of a complexity not heretofore feasible can be successfully knitted.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In knitting means having a reciprocable needle bar and a presser-type bar reciprocable at an angle to the needle bar, and a needle in said needle bar having a grooved body with a laterally outturned end and a slide in the groove of the needle body to eilect closing of the needle, and a lateral projection on said slide; optional control means for the needle closing interposed between the needle bar and the presser-type bar mechanism including a framing element adjacent the needle, a control pin movable through the framing element into and out of the path of said projection, a supporting member carrying said control pin and movable with respect to the framing element as guided by dowel pins riding in openings in the framing element, an axially adjustable spring-equipped push-pin carried in the presser-type bar, actuating means adjacent said control pin supporting member, and a laterally projecting detent near the end of said springequipped push-pin seatable respectively against the forward face of the presser-type bar and in a groove in the bar as the spring-equipped pin is optionally adjusted to either position by appropriate slight rotation relative to said groove.

2. In knitting means having a gang of needles each with a grooved body and a laterally outturned end and a movable closing element slidable in the grooved body and a projection on each slidable closing element; a control stop movable into and out of position to engage such projection, an axially adjustable push-pin to selectively push said stop into the path of said projection, a guide for said push-pin, a spring normally urging said push-pin in one direction, a detent projection laterally near one end of said push pin, and a recess in the pin guide to receive said detent when the pin is turned on its axis to register therewith.

3. In knitting means having a gang of needles each with a laterally out-turned end and a movable closing element therefor, means movable into and out of position to operate said elements including a movable stop adjacent a needle to control operation of its closing element, a reciprocable push-pin optionally settable to engage said movable stop, a spring urging said push-pin in one direction, and detent means for holding said push-pin in an optional position with respect to operation against said movable stop.

4. In knitting means including a gang oi needles each having a body with a laterally out-turned end and a relatively movable slide closing element therefor, projections on the slide closing elements, stop means movable into and out or" position to engage said projections, and optionally settable spring-equipped push-pins to control operation of the stop means.

5. In knitting means including a needle having a body with a laterally out-turned end and a relatively movable closing element therefor, stop means adjacent the needle to control operation or the closing element including a springequipped pin to optionally set in operative or inoperative position.

6. In knitting means having a gang of needles each with a body having a laterally out-turned end and a movable closing element cooperative with such end, and presser-type bars for controlling the closing element, adjustable means including a pattern chain wheel, and variable means for communicating motion from' said pattern chain wheel to the presser-type bars.

7. In knitting means having a gang of needles each with a body having a laterally out-turned end and a movable closing element cooperative with such end, and presser-type bars for controlling the closing element, adjustable means including a pattern chain wheel, a push rod operated by said pattern chain wheel, and a bellcrank lever having one arm operated by said push rod, and its other arm communicating motion to the presser-type bar.

JACK FONTAINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 749,686 Egly Jan. 12, 1904 1,022,238 Heaton Apr. 2, 1912 1,030,100 MacAdam's June 18, 1912 1,035,752 Scott Aug. 13, 1912 1,096,946 Pope et al'.' May 19, 1914 1,097,732 Scott May 26, 1914 1,121,287 Randall Dec. 15, 1914 1,391,033 Wilcornb Sept. 20, 1921 1,398,813 Taft Nov. 29, 1921 1,876,259 Miller Sept. 6, 1932 1,894,588 Hilscher et al Jan. 17, 1933 2,038,735 Heintz Apr. 28, 1936 2,075,139 Scheller Mar. 30, 1937 2,090,970 Wirth Aug. 24, 1937 2,103,852 Kessler Dec. 28, 1937 2,108,736 Vvirth Feb. 15, 1938 2,143,609 Morton et al Jan. 1.0, 1939 2,190,663 Howie Feb. 20, 1940 2,190,665 Howie Feb. 2:0, 1940 2,240,152 Alric Apr. 29, 1941 2,374,294 Maier Apr. 24, 1945 

